Darker Tides
by 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye
Summary: From the moment of Prince Roy's first meeting with his fiancee they changed each others lives, but on the eve of their wedding day, all that they hold dear is ripped away by a blood thirsty mad man hungry for power.Will he save her in time? RoyXRiza
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except maybe the cat that will be in the next chapter teehee. Everything else belongs to the talking cow, aka HA (However you spell her name)

RATED: MA (For violence, language, and sexuality. (Not sure about lemons yet :/))

* * *

_**Prologue**_

_He watched everything go by in his mind as if it was playing from a television. He saw her face, those perfect lips, beautiful eyes, her long blonde hair, her slender, curvy figure…he saw everything. But she was gone; she had been ripped away from him cruelly and quickly. He hated the fact that it had been right under his nose, that his nemesis' plan had worked. He slammed his fist down on the table and looked around at his companions. _

"_I will not lose her! I have loved her since the day our parents introduced us five months ago! This attempt to take my throne will not work, his plan will fail. Now…all of you tell me what we can do to out with this fool…" _

_His voice was filled with anger and torment. He was now thinking of what they could be doing to her…his fiancée. The future queen to his throne. She was his other half, his confidant, his soul mate. She was a wholesome, good, sweet angel. She was a treasure among the people, always listening, always caring, and always giving back. Children adored her, women idolized and envied her. _

_He turned away from his companions and looked out the terrace windows towards the east. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the familiar outline of the castle in the east barely on the edge of the horizon. _

"_I will get her back, and you will die, King Bradley." _

_

* * *

_

**Chapter One**

"I really don't see the point in buffing, powdering, primping, and polishing every single part of my body to meet one person. Even if he is the future heir to the throne."

"Elizabeth, humor your mother. This match has been set up since the day you were born. She just wants you to look your best."

"Well I think it's ridiculous. But I do love this gown, it's my favorite."

Elizabeth Victoria Hawkeye, daughter of Duke Nathaniel Thomas Hawkeye and Duchess Marie Anne Hawkeye, was never one to dress up for tea, let alone Wednesday tea. However, she supposed today was to be an exception, considering she would be in the presence of the King and his royal family. The Duke's family was the only one in the kingdom not directly related to the King's family by blood or marriage. That was soon to remedied however.

"Oh my darling Elizabeth! You look absolutely gorgeous!" Marie Hawkeye gushed as she entered her daughters' dressing chambers. Elizabeth's light cream colored gown shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the windows, and her golden hair was twisted into an ornate chignon with baby's breath weaved in. The gown was one of her favorites, she had so many it was hard to chose, and this was also one of the less ornate ones.

"I still don't see why I couldn't just wear my usual tea dress. Why do I have to wear a gown and get all fancy just for the King and the Royal Court?" Elizabeth said calmly, taking her shawl from her hand-maiden.

"Elizabeth, when you enter the palace, you will realize why, my dear. The entire court dresses this ornately everyday for tea, and you will have to do the same when you marry the prince."

"Just seems like too much of a bother for some tea. I'm going to change that rule…" Elizabeth mused to herself as they all walked out the door.

* * *

"Now, now Sadie, there's no reason to fret! My parents won't be there!"

"Oh but…if they are…you would get into so much trouble…your highness…"

Prince Roy Mustang smirked eloquently, charming the girl in his arms even further. It was no secret to anybody that he was a ladies man, and there was no doubt in anybody's mind that he had, indeed, bedded a girl or two since his 18th birthday two years ago. However, he did try to be as discreet as possible, he did have a reputation as a Prince to maintain and keep polished and unmarred.

Though his given name was Royal Percival Mustang, most people besides peasants and lower middle class tended to call him Roy, others called him by his formal title. He also tended to forget sometimes, that in addition to being a prince, he also had certain duties to attend to on a daily basis. Such as tea time…

Sadie walked quickly along with Roy, blushing deeply at what she knew was about to happen to her maidenhood. She let out a terrified giggle, which excited Roy all the more further as he opened the door to the grand hall. And then stopped dead. "Oh damn…tea time." He muttered.

* * *

"Oh my goodness! Jonathan, my darling! This exquisite beauty is sure to captivate our son!" Queen Christmas Mustang exclaimed, grabbing her husbands' hand and letting out a small gasp as the Duke and Duchess arrived with their daughter. The whole court had turned to greet them, and many of them were awed by Elizabeth's beauty.

"Yes, she is quite the beauty isn't she?" The King whispered to his wife, smiling warmly as the Duke came forward to make the necessary greetings.

Elizabeth wanted to blush as she felt everyone stare at her upon entering the grand hall, but she managed to avoid it. Her eyes glanced around at all the different faces, trying to seek out a familiar one, but she couldn't find any. She laughed inwardly, she had never had a real friend, and she had been sheltered up until now. The closet thing to a friend she had was her maid, and she wasn't allowed into the hall. She would have to make friends in this new world; she would have to push her boundaries.

"Welcome! Welcome to our home! I am so pleased that you have come! Now, I am sure that our son will be along soon, I do apologize for his tardiness!" The Queen's tinkling voiced seemed magnified by the vastness of the hall. Elizabeth managed a small smile for her future mother-in-law, and bowed before her, following custom and kissing the ring on her finger.

"It is wonderful that you have humbled us with your gracious presence. Your imminent union with our son brings us great joy, young Elizabeth. We could not be happier with our choice." The King spoke in a soft, strong voice.

If Elizabeth had to describe the King she supposed that she would say he was handsome. He was tall, with dark hair and even darker eyes. He seemed well built and stood proudly in all he fine clothes. He looked like every King should look, strong and proud and noble. The Queen was somewhat small, with a very busty build and long brown hair. She had big blue eyes and a wide smile. She wasn't beautiful, but she wasn't ugly either. Elizabeth continued musing as she answered their praises; they were both very nice people.

As they all sat down to tea, the hall filled with the quiet buzzing of everyone's conversations. Elizabeth's parents conversed quietly with the King and Queen, and Elizabeth listened quietly, and was quickly startled by the sound of the hall door opening. Her head jerked up and her eyes widened as everyone else went dead quiet.

"Oh that foolish boy, how could he forget?" Christmas hissed quietly, setting her tea cup down.

'I suppose that would be my future husband. So the rumors are true…he's quite the play boy everyone makes him out to be.' Elizabeth thought quietly to herself. She set her tea cup down and watched as one of the courtiers got up from his table and rushed quickly to the door.

* * *

A/N: So….first time I have written in quite a while. So you will all have to excuse me for my rustiness! The rest of the chapters will be much better than this one I promise! I do hope you like it; I have been meaning to get back to my writing for sometime. Alas…life always has too many things for me to do…Please review and let me know what you think! (And if the separators don't appear I am sooo sorry!)


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except maybe the cat that will be in this chapter teehee. Everything else belongs to the talking cow, aka HA (However you spell her name)

RATED: MA (For violence, language, and sexuality. (Not sure about lemons yet :/))

* * *

"You will apologize to her, and you will continue to make up for your actions at tea time today! HOW DARE YOU try to ruin this engagement with your tomfoolery! She is one of the kindest, most calm people you could ever meet! She didn't even bat an eyelash at your stupidity today! Which is a lot more than I can say for the rest of the courtiers!"

Roy yawned widely as his mother continued to rave on about his mistake. So what he had forgotten that he was supposed to meet his fiancée today at stupid tea time? He was much more preoccupied with getting laid, which had a lot more advantages that meeting some even tempered "kind" woman whom he knew nothing about. He hadn't even caught a glimpse of her before Maes had pushed him and Sadie out of the hall.

After his mother had finished screaming at him, he walked out to the castle gardens to find Maes, who was waiting for him under the oak tree in the middle of the garden.

"You're lucky her parents didn't call of the engagement. You are also very lucky she didn't seem to care." Maes said, giving him a look. Roy rolled his eyes and heaved a huge sigh.

"Not you too? Mary mother of God! I will go to her house tomorrow afternoon with some sort of jewelry and patch this whole mess up, okay? Are you damn people happy now? What is it that everyone wants from me?" Roy cried out exasperatedly. Maes rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Nothing much, just that you stop your lady chasing ways and start settling for one woman, your fiancée. She is quite a beauty, if I wasn't already married to Gracia, I would be very attracted to her." Maes grinned widely at the mention of his new wife, and started going into lala land. Roy smiled a little; he had been best friends with Maes ever since they were kids, back when their titles didn't matter. Though Maes was a Baron, a very wealthy one at that.

"Look, it's hard to break old habits. I still haven't gotten used to the whole idea of getting married. I'm sure this woman is gorgeous, and I'll go see her tomorrow. But for now…I'm going to my room and sitting down with a good book and a nice glass of whiskey." Roy told Maes lightly, turning to go back into the castle.

"Just…I don't know Roy….don't screw this up. The fate of this kingdom rests on your shoulders when your parents die, or when the step down, whichever comes first. Having a good wife like Elizabeth Hawkeye will bring you good fortune." Maes said calmly as Roy began to walk away.

"Nag, nag, nag….good thing I have someone like you…" Roy muttered with a smirk as he walked away.

* * *

"How can you not be infuriated?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I have heard of his reputation, so I suppose I expected it. That and everyone else seemed more than appalled enough for me. This is an arranged marriage, I don't expect him to love me, and I highly doubt he expects me to be like one of his mistresses…" Elizabeth spoke quietly as her maid brushed her hair.

"But when you two are married in the future, you do expect him to faithful, don't you?" the maid, Winry, asked lightly. Elizabeth smiled a small smile as she stood up and walked over to her large bed to lie down. Winry set the brush down on the vanity and watched as Elizabeth climbed into the bed.

"I do…but I shouldn't do such things. It is not good to have big expectations of someone who you know can hardly overcome them in such a short period of time. Unless of course, he is quite taken with me within the first two weeks, then I would expect such things from him…" Elizabeth laughed a little at her words. Winry smiled and shook her head.

"And what if he is swept away by your beauty and grace, what if he does fall in love with you right away? Like in the story books?"

"Then maybe we'll be the next fairy tale love story." Elizabeth replied softly, her eyes gazing into nothingness.

* * *

"Oh my god. He's here. The Prince is here to see you!" Winry gasped as her and Elizabeth looked out the window down towards the front gates. Elizabeth swallowed nervously.

'Perhaps he has come to apologize…I would assume he wants to do things properly…' she thought to herself, becoming hopeful. Maybe she would not have to deal with a future husband that bedded other women.

"My god, Elizabeth! You're not even properly dressed yet!" Elizabeth's mother yelled as she burst into her daughters' room. Elizabeth smiled a little and held back a laugh. She thought it was so silly the way everyone overreacted about everything. Like being royalty was something totally special. Well it was, but people who are royal tend to be just like everyone else, just with tons of money and titles.

Elizabeth tried not to think too much as her mother and Winry began dressing her and tugging at her golden locks with a brush and applying light rouge to her cheeks and fussing over what jewelry to put on her. She had known for two years that she had been put in an arranged marriage, but now everything just seemed to be happening so fast. She was also aware of the fact that she would have to make her debut at the court soon in front of the royal majesties and all the courtiers. That made her slightly nervous. What if nobody liked her after all? What if she was too quiet, too calm and level- headed during situations? What if her future husband thought her ugly?

"Elizabeth, hurry downstairs he is in the drawing room waiting to speak with you!" her mother hissed, practically pushing her down the stairs. Elizabeth shook her head lightly, looking down at the pink gown she had been forced into. It was one of her favorites. It was a simple pink silk gown with very little embellishments and it fit her frame nicely. Her hair had been braided and curled into a knot towards the top of her head, and a few curls hung loosely to frame her face along with her bangs. She smiled lightly as she entered the drawing room and faced her fiancé for the first time.

* * *

Roy paced back and forth nervously. He had to get this right, he had to agree with everyone else in the end, he had made an out right fool of himself yesterday. If there was anything he knew how to do right besides run a country it was how to charm women and make them feel special. Little to anyone's knowledge except maybe his best friend (who knew everything about him anyways), he had always looked up to his father in the respect that he treated his wife like gold. His father had always shown great affection for his wife, and showered her with gifts whenever he pleased, and gave her whatever she desired. Ever since Roy was a child, he had wanted to do that for his own wife. He had always wanted to be a real man like his father.

'I hope I don't look dingy, and whatever else. I must make a good impression upon my future wife and get to know her. I must keep myself in good spirits. Being tied down to one woman for the rest of my life won't kill me. I might even like this one for real…who knows…' Roy thought to himself as he stopped pacing and the door to the drawing room opened. He put his trademark smirk on his face as he turned to face his future wife and look at her properly for the first time.

* * *

"Hello…my name is Elizabeth…but I suppose you already knew that." Elizabeth said coolly as she took in the sight of Prince Roy Mustang. 'I have never been one to gush over a handsome man but…my god he is quite gorgeous.' Elizabeth thought, her eyes roaming over him. He was well built, tall, with dark hair and beautiful dark blue eyes. He had a slight tan, and she could tell he had muscles, but he wasn't too muscular, which was nice. She loved how tall he was, she had always dreamt of marrying a tall man…

Roy stood and tried to keep breathing. He opened his mouth to speak and shut it again as she stared at him waiting for him to talk. 'You look stupid you fool, say something!' he yelled at himself in his mind. She was absolutely breathtaking, Maes had been correct. She had long golden blonde hair piled into a knot, with gorgeous amber eyes. She was slender and small, but not too small. She had a busty chest and a curvaceous figure. Her skin was a peach cream color, and she looked so soft and warm. He had a feeling falling for her wouldn't be so hard anymore.

"And I'm sure you already know that I am…Prince Roy Mustang, but you will be calling me Roy...because of course…the whole marriage thing…" Roy said, feeling more stupid with each word he spoke. But the small smile remained on her lips as she opened her mouth to speak again.

"Yes. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, after hearing about you all this time." Elizabeth replied, looking away from him as she walked to stand closer to him. Her heart fluttered, and she cautioned herself not to start trusting so easily.

"About my actions yesterday, Mi-…Elizabeth, I do apologize. It was uncalled for and completely foolish of me. I have brought you a couple of presents to attempt to make up for it, though I know it won't be easy to win you over that way I'm sure…ah, please don't let me banter on…" Roy laughed, putting a hand to his forehead and shaking his head. Elizabeth laughed lightly with him. She looked over to the small basket by the velvet couch two feet from them.

"Oh! You shouldn't have, they're so sweet looking. And asleep…" Elizabeth spoke softly as she kneeled down beside the wicker basket, a soft glow coming to her face. Inside the basket, a small orange and white kitten nestled softly next to an equally small black and white puppy.

"Like I said, I didn't know which you would prefer, so I have given you both. They're weaned from their mothers and both very docile and sweet…" Roy explained, smiling.

"They're wonderful…thank you." Elizabeth whispered, standing up and smiling softly at him. She seemed to get lost in his midnight blue eyes briefly. She felt a small blush creep up on her cheeks as he perched himself nervously on the sofa.

"Look…I'm no good at this whole small talk thing. I usually just charm the girls and they blabber on while I pretend to listen. I feel that doing that to you would be totally wrong and unfair." He blurted out, mentally hitting himself as he did. Elizabeth sat beside him and sighed, her face remaining neutral.

"Then why don't we both start from the beginning, and take this slow and easy. You seem to be just as nervous as I am…" Elizabeth said coolly, her amber eyes looking down at her new pets.

"I would like that very much…" Roy said quietly, unable to take his eyes off her. For the first time in his very short twenty years, Prince Roy Mustang felt the unmistakable feelings of a budding love interest.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! I am enjoying writing this story very much, and I do hope you'll enjoy reading it! If you see any inconsistencies, or anything else, please let me know. And please, please review if you have time! I have big plans for this story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except the cat I DO own. Everything else belongs to the talking cow, aka HA (However you spell her name)

RATED: MA (For violence, language, and sexuality. (Not sure about lemons yet :/))

* * *

"Now that we've discussed it, I really think it is time we tell her."

"She's not going to like leaving her whole life here behind…it will be hard on her…"

"At first it will, but he visits everyday, and all they do is talk and talk, and talk! He's crazy about her, it would be better if we moved her into the castle, and his parents do agree…"

Elizabeth's mother sighed and nodded her head as her husband finished his sentence. "Nathaniel…I'm going to miss our little girl…" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Oh my darling, but just think of it as her starting out on a brand new adventure! She'll have fun, and we'll get to see her as often as you wish." Nathaniel reassured his wife, patting her awkwardly on the back with a smile.

* * *

"I've always liked taking a ride on my horse, just roaming through the countryside, stopping whenever I want to admire the view and smell the fresh air. I love the mountains, all the wild flowers…" Elizabeth laughed as she sipped her tea. Roy smiled along with her and set his tea cup down.

"I enjoy it a great deal myself. My father isn't the only one who has to do all the running of the kingdom. Once I turned eighteen, he requested that I begin helping him. That way I would get to make a smooth transition once I do become King…it's stressful, I never realized until I actually started. Taking a ride on my horse is very soothing and relaxing." Roy told her, looking out across the Hawkeye's estate with glossy eyes.

"I imagine it as being difficult…there's not just yourself and your family to consider when making important decisions, but a whole country, that's a big weight on your shoulders." Elizabeth said quietly, her amber eyes searching his face as she spoke.

"You're so young, I've never really thought about your age before. I just knew that we were engaged without even meeting one another. Sixteen and yet, you're one of the most compelling and smart women I've ever met, Elizabeth…" Roy said softly, moving closer to her on the small couch. Elizabeth looked away, setting her tea cup down.

"I just…try to understand what others feel…My parents always said I was a good listener. I'm only four years younger than you are. And I'm not as smart and as wise as everyone thinks I am…if I was wise, Roy Mustang, I wouldn't have given my heart over to you so quickly after only meeting you once." Elizabeth said coolly, trying to arrange her feature into an analytical mask.

"Your heart? Are you saying that you have fallen for me so quickly? I've only been coming to your estate every day for two weeks, almost religiously my best friend says. You my darling Elizabeth are very captivating in your conversation." Roy laughed lightly, taking her hands in his. She blushed softly, looking into his eyes.

"I do not wish to have my heart broken. I only want to be a good wife, and perhaps after learning a few things, and trying my best, to be a good Queen…" Elizabeth replied, smiling gently. Roy laughed again, his eyes lighting up as he did so. He felt different around his fiancée, happy and carefree, like he could do anything. There were no words to explain the way this woman made him feel.

All too soon, it was time for him to return to the main city, it was starting to get dark out, near supper time. Elizabeth watched as he got onto his horse, and he grinned at her, a grin that was fast becoming a favorite of hers. The wind blew her golden curls softly across her face and she smelt the sweet scent of the wildflowers from the forest hit her nose.

"I will come back tomorrow, my sweet Elizabeth. Until then, I bid you adieu." Roy said, chuckling at his silly words. Elizabeth smiled and waved him off as his horse began to trot down the drive towards the main road.

* * *

"But…I don't think I'm ready…" Elizabeth said, her face creased with an apprehensive worry. Her mother wrapped an arm around her shoulders, smiling softly.

"You are ready. They can give you more than your father and I can right at the moment. You need to start planning your wedding and getting used to being treated as a Queen, Elizabeth. The Queen is going to help you settle into a routine and give you all new hand maidens. You will do wonderful in the Royal Court." Marie told her daughter consolingly, doing her best to convince her daughter that this move was for the better.

"I suppose you're right. I knew I would have to do this sometime. When do I leave?" Elizabeth asked her mother, holding back the rush of emotions that had started pounding on her heart. She knew that at some point she would have to sacrifice a bit of herself in order to better herself. It's what every woman had to do. Or at least, every woman in her situation.

"You will begin packing tomorrow, and leave the day afterwards. Roy won't be coming back, you will be going to him, and we have already sent word to his parents and him as well. So go on up to your room my dear and get ready for bed." Her mother smiled warmly, letting her daughter go and watch her walk up the staircase towards her room.

'My little girl…all grown up. She'll make a wonderful Queen…a beautiful bride.' Marie thought, a single tear falling down her cheek.

* * *

"You act like it's killing you to go two days without seeing her, Roy." Maes said, folding his arms over his chest as he watched his best friend pace back and forth. Roy growled in frustration and continued to pace. It was killing him a little to not see the woman he felt like he had been waiting for all his life. She was quickly becoming a type of escape for him, something more than just a confidant, like Maes was. She understood the words he said, she gave him confidence and ideas, she encouraged him in a way, he supposed, to be more like the regal man his father was.

"You don't understand, Maes. She's different, she gets me…she understands me like you do, and she isn't just infatuated with me like all the other women. She is falling in love with me! And I'm falling in love with her!" Roy blurted out, and then smacked a hand onto his forehead. Maes began laughing, and shook his head.

"So you went and fell in love with her did you now?" he asked Roy, trying hard to stop his laughing fit. Roy cast him a vindictive look and shook his head.

"It's not like I meant for this to happen…it just did Maes. It's like…she's everything…"

"That's the way it's suppose to be, Roy. It probably helps that she's extremely attractive and so pure. Or so I've heard."

"Don't go spreading it around that I'm becoming soft, because so help me God if you do…" Roy muttered, stalking off towards the great hall to await the arrival of his other friends. Maes chuckled lightly and went after him.

* * *

"I don't get why we have to meet her, geez. Who gives a crap about Mustang's new toy?"

"You should bite your tongue Brother…"

"Yeah Ed, shut up."

"Why don't all of you shut up?"

Edward Elric was short. And had a nasty temper, there was no way around those two facts, but he had good moral character, and was a valued knight in the King's arsenal. His brother, Alphonse Elric, was also a valued knight of high moral standing, but with softer words, and a sweeter demeanor. Edward was a little rough around the edges, but a good kid nonetheless.

"I think it would be wise, if you were to keep your mouth shut Elric."

"Well, well if it isn't the pompous windbag himself."

"You're just pissy because you have to meet Roy's fiancée instead of chasing after Amaya Mitsu."

"Haha, Edward has a girlfriend."

"Alright that's enough, I can see the carriage coming. She's probably going to be nervous enough without all of you acting like a pack of bumbling baffling baboons." Maes said sharply, causing everyone to stop fighting over Edwards' relationship with Elizabeth's new lady-in-waiting.

* * *

Elizabeth's face remained neutral as she got into the carriage bid her parents farewell. Her things had already gone ahead of her in a different carriage, and it would probably be unpacked and put away before she even reached the castle. She tried more often than not to not show any emotion. She didn't want to appear weak in front of others, she had to be strong and she didn't know what else. She looked down as the carriage began to move and heard her mother crying. She had already told them both goodbye and they had promised to come visit soon.

It was only an hour or two to the castle, and she sat alone in the carriage, thinking about everything she would have to do now. It seemed a bit overwhelming, but she would be closer to the man she was falling in love with, and get to meet all of the people he talked about so frequently. She was very keen to meet this "Maes" he spoke so highly of. She let out a deep breath and looked out the window of the swaying carriage, the countryside going by quickly.

'I hope everyone likes me. These are all people I haven't really met before, I need to make a good first impression. I must remember that a key fact is to be warm and kind…' her thoughts trailed off as she began to make a list of things she had to remember when meeting everyone as the carriage continued down the road to her destiny.

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone liked this chapter! Review and let me know!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four **

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, except the cat I DO own and I own Eve and My good friend (the editor) owns Amaya (No Mary sues, I swear) . Everything else belongs to the talking cow, aka HA (However you spell her name)

RATED: MA (For violence, language, and sexuality. (Not sure about lemons yet :/))

* * *

Elizabeth held her breath as the carriage came to a halt in front of the castle gates, and she peeked out the window. There was a small group of people including Roy waiting for her, and she couldn't help but be nervous. A wave of nausea rolled over her, and she leaned back, covering her mouth and nose with her gloved right hand. "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous." She whispered to herself as the carriage door opened and she moved to get out slowly. Her golden curls bounced as she gathered part of her dress in one hand and took the hand of the coachman with her other hand.

She smiled carefully at the coachman and thanked him quietly for his help as she smoothed out her traveling gown and touched both hands to her hat lightly to make sure she looked alright. She looked up and smiled softly, her cool demeanor emanating around herself.

"Hello. My name is Elizabeth." She said coolly, looking around at them all. She waited as they all just kind of stared at her, she faltered a little before she began again.

"It's so wonderful to meet all of you, Roy has told me so much about all of you, and I feel as if I have known you my whole life…" she said, trying again to get everyone to speak.

"Don't mind them, Elizabeth my darling; they are just struck by your beauty." Roy said, coming forward to greet her with a kiss on the cheek that made her blush. She smiled up at him, and embraced him lightly.

"I apologize, my name is Maes Hughes, and I am the Duke of the Western Lands. And this is my wife, Gracia." Maes introduced himself, and tugged his wife to his side as he introduced her too. Gracia offered Elizabeth a small smile, and shook her hand lightly.

"And this is Edward and Alphonse Elric, two very prominent members of our Knights Circle, very good at what they do…" Roy said, pointing towards the brothers, one who seemed not to care, and the other with a grin on his face.

Elizabeth gave them a smile as Roy continued to introduce her to everyone else. There were four other men, Vato Falman, Kain Fuery, Jean Havoc, and Heymans Breda, who all served as knights and as political advisors to the King and the Prince himself. There were supposedly three more, who were supposed to be her ladies-in-waiting, but they were too busy getting her room and things in order to come and meet her with the others.

* * *

Then it started, Elizabeth was led into the castle where she was given a small tour, and shown where everyone's rooms were when they stayed at the castle, and where the throne room/ ballroom was, and also the library was. She felt a bit overwhelmed as everyone followed her and Roy around, eager to see what she was like. After a while, she felt her calm demeanor slipping. She made an excuse that she was weary from her short trip; and left to the rooms that were assigned to her.

She leaned against the door after she locked it, and shut her eyes, refusing to let the tears slip out. She heard a small whimper and a pitiful meow come from her bed, where her kitten and puppy now sat, staring at her curiously. She smiled, walking over to them, and sitting beside them on the bed. She tucked her legs underneath her, and took them into her lap, cuddling them as they made their respective noises.

"My sweet darling Peaches, and my cute little Black Hayate. You are both such wonderful gifts. I won't feel so alone in this castle with you here…" she whispered quietly, wiping a tear off her cheek. She let out a small sigh, causing the kitten to give her a strange look and puff her tail a bit, which in turn made Elizabeth laugh.

She just felt so much like an alien in this place, and the castle was so big, everyone so….friendly she supposed was the right word to describe Roy's friends. She was sure that with time, she would accept them as her friends too, and perhaps even trust them as much as Roy did. She placed her pets back on the bed, and walked over to the balcony windows, opening them to let the fresh air in. Her room was much bigger her in the castle than it had been at her home, and everything was just so much more…royal. She laughed at herself for not being able to think of a better word.

The bed was huge, with curtains all the way around it, rich satin sheets and pillow cases (in the color blue), and a big blue blanket. There was a vanity with all of her hair things, brushes, and make up set up. She poked through the jewelry boxes and saw that all her jewelry had been placed in them carefully. Now that she thought about it, all of her things had been unpacked very neatly and put in all the places she would have put them. Whoever had unpacked her suitcases was very good.

Elizabeth changed her clothes and combed her hair as dinner time neared. She put on her burgundy dinner gown, and pinned her hair up carefully into a perfect chignon, and carefully put her earring in, along with a small necklace around her neck. She let out a deep sigh and put her head up in the air. She would let them all think what they wanted to, but she was going to be herself, and she was going to the best that she could be, at everything.

* * *

Dinner was uneventful, she was quiet unless someone spoke to her, and she ate her food at a moderate pace, and was polite to the servants. Roy gave her a couple of reassuring smiles when he thought it was appropriate. Everyone was very nice to her, asked about her life at the estate, and what she thought about the castle so far. She was diplomatic about her answers, and remembered to use her manners.

"Everyone likes you, you know. You're so quiet and comfortable to be around."

"I hope they do. I start learning everything tomorrow. Don't tell anyone, but I'm nervous."

"You will do fine, you are smart."

Elizabeth smiled as she sat down on the garden bench and looked wistfully towards the mountain range. Roy sat beside her, and followed her gaze.

"What are you staring at, Elizabeth?"

" Doesn't the purple sky look beautiful over those mountains? I wonder what it would be like to climb them…"

"Probably very cold…but I'm sure it would be something exhilarating…"

"Roy…I hate to admit this…but I am scared. I don't like being scared either. My father has always said that I am strong, independent girl with a good head on her shoulders. So I hope that you don't expect me to be subservient or anything like that when we get married." Elizabeth looked away from the mountains as she spoke, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I don't expect you to be anyone other than who you will become, or who you currently are, Elizabeth." Roy replied softly, touching her cheek with his hand, and smiling at her. She smiled and looked down at the skirt of her gown, picking at it nervously.

"You know…since we are going to be married, we should probably have sort of like…names for each other." Roy stated, a thoughtful look coming to his face. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow as he said this and let out a small chuckle.

"Like nicknames? I like calling you Roy, so I don't believe I could come up with anything besides 'your highness…" Elizabeth said, standing up to go back inside. Roy jumped up beside her, smirking, and pulled her close to him, causing her to let out a small squeak.

"Riza, I will call you Riza. I want to be the only person that calls you that." Roy murmured softly, caressing her cheek with his free hand. She let out a small laugh, and her eyelashes fluttered.

"You will be the only person that calls me, Riza. It's a beautiful nickname. Better than Liza or Eliza…and Beth too. I don't like those…" Riza said quietly, looking back up into his eyes.

He gazed into her eyes for a moment before he slowly lowered his lips onto hers, savoring the feeling of her lips against his. Riza froze, unsure of what to do. She'd never been kissed before, but she knew that what it was doing to her now was something extraordinary.

She suddenly found herself kissing him back, her arms wrapped around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist. It was hard to explain the feeling she felt as she kissed him. Her head spun, she couldn't think, but she could feel. Her lips burned as his kiss became more urgent, and she felt her fingers curl up as she felt the desire flood her body. The feelings she was experiencing were so new to her, she didn't have time to comprehend anything as Roy pulled away.

"I'm sorry…not that I kissed you, but for getting so carried away." Roy said quickly, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I'm not sorry. That was my first kiss, and it was absolutely flawless." Riza replied softly, her amber eyes wide, and her heart still pounding from the sudden onslaught of passion. She let out a small sigh and put her hands over her face as the desire she had felt hit her so hard during the kiss quickly left her. Her head was still spinning, and she yearned to feel his kiss again.

"That was very good for your first time. I think I've fallen for you even more now, Riza." Roy chuckled, escorting her back into the castle and up to her room.

* * *

Riza was quiet as her the head of her ladies-in-waiting, Amaya Mitsu, brushed her long golden locks. She was reliving the kiss she had shared with Roy earlier in her head over and over. Of course she had had the "talk" with her mother long ago, so she was not oblivious to what happened when kisses got progressively more passionate. She took a deep breath as Amaya braided her hair loosely for bed. Already in her night gown, Riza stood up and smiled at her.

"Thank you. I feel like it won't be such a hard adjustment with you around." Riza told her, going to her bed and making herself comfortable next to Black Hayate and Peaches, who both snuggled up to her immediately. Amaya smiled, and bowed before she spoke.

"It won't be hard, I promise. They'll just teach you the basics, the etiquette that is expected of a queen, and they'll probably raid your wardrobe and give you a whole new one. They're going to be giving you more baubles and jewelry and what have you, more than you know what to do with. Especially after the marriage. You don't have anything to worry about; you know mostly everything already anyways." Amaya told her kindly, a smile on her face as she walked out the door.

* * *

"Ah so you kissed her? How magical!" Maes laughed as Roy told him what had happened. Roy scowled and took a swig of his brandy. He refused to start treating Riza like one of 'those' women. She deserved to have a nice courtship, and to have her virginity taken the right way, on her wedding night. But god help him…she was so gorgeous, so pure and that kiss had really done him in.

"She's starting to become like a drug addiction. She is the most amazing, smart, god Maes, that girl, no; no…that woman is everything." Roy said, drowning down the rest of his brandy and letting out a huge sigh. Maes shook his head with a knowing grin.

"You're in love with her, Roy. There's no going back now, you're becoming obsessed." Maes told him, sipping at his own glass of brandy.

"I suppose it's a good thing I'm marrying her then. I don't know how I will be able to contain myself…She's an exceedingly gorgeous woman. And she's not even fully grown yet…" Roy let out a moan at the last part and covered his face with his hands. Maes rolled his eyes.

"You can be so small-minded some times. Is that all you think about, sex?" he asked his friend. Roy cast him a glance before going towards the door.

"No. She's smart, and independent. I like how strong-minded she is. And she is so kind to everything and everybody. I just happen to be a very sexual person, so what?" Roy defended himself, opening the door.

"Just checking, my friend, just checking…" Maes chuckled, shaking his head.

* * *

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter finished and edited! I appreciate all of you for taking the time to review! I am going to be referring to Riza and Riza from now on, since Roy has deemed her so, however everyone else will refer to her still as Elizabeth. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far, and I'll have chapter 5 our ASAP. It's gonna be good! (Actually that was my note way back when, I've been a little backlogged lately, but not to worry, I am getting these chapters edited as quick as possible, and I am almost done with Chapter 7! So please keep reviewing and thank you all for being so patient!)


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